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Taste and Olfaction: Sensory Discrimination

Donald H. McBurney

10.1002/cphy.cp010323

Source: Supplement 3: Handbook of Physiology, The Nervous System, Sensory Processes

Originally published: 1984

Published online: January 2011

Full Article on Wiley Online Library



Abstract

The sections in this article are:

1 Psychophysical Methodology in the Chemical Senses
1.1 Nature of Stimulus
1.2 Nature of Taste Qualities
1.3 Nature of Olfactory Qualities
1.4 Methods of Stimulation
1.5 Detecting Chemical Stimuli
1.6 Magnitude of Sensation
1.7 Responses to Mixtures of Chemical Stimuli
2 Effects of Stimulus Parameters
2.1 Taste
2.2 Olfaction
3 Adaptation
3.1 Adaptation: Taste
3.2 Adaptation: Olfaction
4 Odor Memory
5 Hedonics
5.1 Diet Selection
6 Effects of Aging
Figure 1. Figure 1.

Effect of adding variable amount of second odorant (malodorant) to fixed amount of an odorant on intensity of malodor and of mixture. Ordinate represents magnitude of sensation. Diagonal line through origin of graph indicates magnitude of sensation that would result if the sensation magnitude of mixture were the same as magnitude of malodor alone; that is, if there were no masking, counteraction, or augmentation. Considering sensation magnitude of mixture, we see both augmentation and counteraction. Augmentation occurs at low concentrations of malodor when mixture smells stronger than malodor alone does (black area). Throughout rest of range of malodor intensity, sensation magnitude of mixture is less than that of malodor alone, indicating counteraction. Masking is assessed by considering only sensation magnitude of malodor component of mixture. Lower curve shows that masking may be complete.

From Cain and Drexler 45
Figure 2. Figure 2.

Apparent propanol component of perceived magnitude of propanol when smelled alone (squares) and when mixed with lower (open circles) or higher (filled circles) concentrations of amyl butyrate.

From Cain 39
Figure 3. Figure 3.

Time course of change in threshold for NaCl as function of adaptation and recovery from adaptation to NaCl.

From Hahn 77
Figure 4. Figure 4.

Effect of adaptation to NaCl on magnitude of sensation of NaCl. Each curve represents taste of NaCl after adaptation to concentration of NaCl indicated by symbols (○, ×, ⋄, ▪) along abscissa. Increase in sensation magnitude as concentration decreases below adapting level is with respect to water taste, not salty taste, of NaCl.

From McBurney 98. Copyright 1966 by the American Psychological Association. Reprinted by permission
Figure 5. Figure 5.

Effect of cross adaptation to various compounds on taste of sucrose. Adapting compound is indicated at head of each column. Each cell represents either total taste intensity (top row) or intensity of one taste quality after adaptation to one of compounds. Points within each cell indicate response to water (far‐left point in each cell) and three concentrations of sucrose (three right points in each cell). Effect of adaptation to particular compound can be seen by comparing that column with far‐left column that shows taste of sucrose after adaptation to water. It may be seen, for example, that in no instance does adaptation to any of compounds used produce increase in the sweetness of stronger concentrations of sucrose. Citric acid and caffeine increased sweetness of water and weakest concentrations of sucrose via water taste mechanism.

From McBurney and Bartoshuk 105
Figure 6. Figure 6.

Summary of rat NaCl thresholds according to hypothesis that in some cases rats were detecting water taste rather than salty taste. Triangles represent determinations of taste thresholds from literature under conditions that would be expected to produce either salivary adaptation or adaptation to water. Measured thresholds are superimposed on curves representing how human taste intensity and quality change with concentration under conditions of adaptation to water (upper curve) or adaptation to saliva (lower curve). Filled triangles indicate that thresholds were presumed to be true salt taste thresholds after adaptation to water (upper curve) or after adaptation to saliva (lower curve). Open triangles indicate presumed water taste thresholds after adaptation to saliva. Dotted lines indicate that reported threshold may be true salt taste threshold based on adaptation to water, water taste threshold based on salivary adaptation, or combination of both. Shapes of the curves are arbitrary; location of minimum of lower curve (salivary adapting level) is only approximate.

From Bartoshuk 8. Copyright 1974 by the American Psychological Association. Reprinted by permission
Figure 7. Figure 7.

Perceived magnitude of odor evoked by eugenol as a function of time at two concentrations, 0.4 mg/liter (upper curve) and 0.2 mg/liter (lower curve).

From Cain 38


Figure 1.

Effect of adding variable amount of second odorant (malodorant) to fixed amount of an odorant on intensity of malodor and of mixture. Ordinate represents magnitude of sensation. Diagonal line through origin of graph indicates magnitude of sensation that would result if the sensation magnitude of mixture were the same as magnitude of malodor alone; that is, if there were no masking, counteraction, or augmentation. Considering sensation magnitude of mixture, we see both augmentation and counteraction. Augmentation occurs at low concentrations of malodor when mixture smells stronger than malodor alone does (black area). Throughout rest of range of malodor intensity, sensation magnitude of mixture is less than that of malodor alone, indicating counteraction. Masking is assessed by considering only sensation magnitude of malodor component of mixture. Lower curve shows that masking may be complete.

From Cain and Drexler 45


Figure 2.

Apparent propanol component of perceived magnitude of propanol when smelled alone (squares) and when mixed with lower (open circles) or higher (filled circles) concentrations of amyl butyrate.

From Cain 39


Figure 3.

Time course of change in threshold for NaCl as function of adaptation and recovery from adaptation to NaCl.

From Hahn 77


Figure 4.

Effect of adaptation to NaCl on magnitude of sensation of NaCl. Each curve represents taste of NaCl after adaptation to concentration of NaCl indicated by symbols (○, ×, ⋄, ▪) along abscissa. Increase in sensation magnitude as concentration decreases below adapting level is with respect to water taste, not salty taste, of NaCl.

From McBurney 98. Copyright 1966 by the American Psychological Association. Reprinted by permission


Figure 5.

Effect of cross adaptation to various compounds on taste of sucrose. Adapting compound is indicated at head of each column. Each cell represents either total taste intensity (top row) or intensity of one taste quality after adaptation to one of compounds. Points within each cell indicate response to water (far‐left point in each cell) and three concentrations of sucrose (three right points in each cell). Effect of adaptation to particular compound can be seen by comparing that column with far‐left column that shows taste of sucrose after adaptation to water. It may be seen, for example, that in no instance does adaptation to any of compounds used produce increase in the sweetness of stronger concentrations of sucrose. Citric acid and caffeine increased sweetness of water and weakest concentrations of sucrose via water taste mechanism.

From McBurney and Bartoshuk 105


Figure 6.

Summary of rat NaCl thresholds according to hypothesis that in some cases rats were detecting water taste rather than salty taste. Triangles represent determinations of taste thresholds from literature under conditions that would be expected to produce either salivary adaptation or adaptation to water. Measured thresholds are superimposed on curves representing how human taste intensity and quality change with concentration under conditions of adaptation to water (upper curve) or adaptation to saliva (lower curve). Filled triangles indicate that thresholds were presumed to be true salt taste thresholds after adaptation to water (upper curve) or after adaptation to saliva (lower curve). Open triangles indicate presumed water taste thresholds after adaptation to saliva. Dotted lines indicate that reported threshold may be true salt taste threshold based on adaptation to water, water taste threshold based on salivary adaptation, or combination of both. Shapes of the curves are arbitrary; location of minimum of lower curve (salivary adapting level) is only approximate.

From Bartoshuk 8. Copyright 1974 by the American Psychological Association. Reprinted by permission


Figure 7.

Perceived magnitude of odor evoked by eugenol as a function of time at two concentrations, 0.4 mg/liter (upper curve) and 0.2 mg/liter (lower curve).

From Cain 38
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Article Title: Taste and Olfaction: Sensory Discrimination
 

How to Cite

Donald H. McBurney. Taste and Olfaction: Sensory Discrimination. Compr Physiol 2011, Supplement 3: Handbook of Physiology, The Nervous System, Sensory Processes: 1067-1086. First published in print 1984. doi: 10.1002/cphy.cp010323